Shirley Ann Robertson, OBE DL (born 15 July 1968) is a British sailor and Olympic gold medallist. She is the first British woman to win an Olympic gold medal at consecutive games, Sydney 2000 and Athens 2004.
Robertson was born in Dundee, Scotland, but spent her early life in Menstrie in central Scotland. Robertson began sailing at the age of seven on Loch Ard in Scotland. Her early passion for the sport was nurtured by her family, leading her to compete in local and national events.[1]
Robertson's first major international breakthrough came in the 1998 World Championships, where she won a silver medal in the Europe class. This set the stage for her Olympic debut at the 1996 Atlanta Games, where she competed in the Europe class, finishing in fourth place.
Robertson made a significant breakthrough during the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia, where she won her first gold medal in the Europe class. This victory marked a significant moment in British sailing history, as it was the first time a British woman had won an Olympic gold in sailing.[2]
Four years later, at the Athens 2004 Olympics, Robertson secured her second gold medal, this time in the Yngling class, alongside crewmates Sarah Webb and Sarah Ayton. This achievement made her the first British woman to win gold medals at two consecutive Olympic Games.[3]
In January 2006 she became the regular presenter of Mainsail, a CNN monthly program devoted to the sailing world. She was also a commentator for the BBC's sailing coverage at the 2008 Summer Olympics.
Robertson nominated Callum Airlie as one of the seven teenagers to light the Olympic cauldron at the opening ceremony of the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. During the games, she became a commentator for the BBC, commentating on the sailing from Weymouth.
In 2019, Robertson launched her own podcast series: Shirley Robertson's Sailing Podcast which sees Robertson sit down for in depth and personal interviews with some of the leading figures from the sport of sailing.[4][5]
In 2023, she became the godmother of MS Ambition, a cruise ship operated by Ambassador Cruise Line.[6] The first stop on the ship's maiden voyage was from Newcastle to Dundee, Robertson's birth place.
In recognition of her services to sailing, Robertson was named female World Sailor of the Year by the International Sailing Federation in 2000, and was appointed an MBE in 2000 and an OBE in 2005.
Shirley married Jamie Boag in June 2006. They currently live in Cowes, on the Isle of Wight. She also has twins called Annabel and Killian.